Mahinda Rajapaksa:

Destined to become our President

Wijitha Nakkawita

More than any other year in the political history of Sri Lanka, 1970 promised to be the most significant after regaining independence in 1948. We witnessed the SLFP led United Front Government coming to power with a two thirds majority. The country’s true independence was achieved when it became a republic under the Constitution enacted in 1972.

As party loyalist I remember working for a senior vice President of the SLFP Dr.Badiudin Mahamud the Education Minister. Among the several young parliamentarians that came to the ministry were the youngest MP Mahinda Rajapaksa and several new ones like Edwin Wickramaratna from Mahiyangana, Tennyson Edirisuriya from Tissamaharama, Nanda Ellawala from Ratnapura, P.O.Wimalanaga from Kolonne and Tissa R.Balalla from Yapahuwa.

All these young parliamentarians sometimes needed advice and assistance in getting matters of their constituents attended to, especially with the Education Ministry with the repressive previous UNP regime having transferred out nearly 3,000 teachers to distant areas and some were interdicted for holding opposing or dissident political views.

When these teachers had to be redressed the requests usually came through the MP, therefore we got to know them well gradually. The young Mahinda Rajapaksa also brought in his requests but we found in him a calm, composed but determined young politician whose career we were to follow through the years.

Young Mahinda Rajapaksa

For the Rajapaksas of Giruwapattuwa, deep down south in the Hambantota District had produced a string of leaders elected by the people including young Mahinda Rajapaksa’s father D.A.Rajapaksa, uncles D.M., George and Lakshman who had been associated with the SLFP from the very beginning.

In 1951 when the founder leader of the SLFP resigned as Leader of the House and Local Government and Health Minister of the then UNP regime crossed the floor of the House to join the Opposition, it was D.A.Rajapaksa who got up next and crossed the floor with four others following.

In the 1970s young Mahinda Rajapaksa associated with trade unions, the working class and generally as a young parliamentarian he learned the procedures and the tact of a successful politicians. But we found in him a person who respected seniors and the then Premier Madame Sirimavo Bandaranaike was very fond of the young Mahinda Rajapaksa. Anura Bandaranaike and Mahinda became good friends as two people with a traditional political heritage behind them.

It was really in later years we saw the emerging leader in Mahinda especially during the oppressive UNP regimes after 1977. During the spate of violence in the 1980s, now a more mature and courageous politician he led the agitation against the missing people and the extra judicial killings done both by the JVP gunmen and the para military outfits let loose by the R.Premadasa regime like the Green Tigers, Yellow Cats, Pra and some sections of the police and the armed forces.

At that time no one dared to cross the path of Premadasa as dissent or opposition to the repressive regime would mean death. So many who dared to walk with their heads held high like Lalith Athulathmudali, Vijaya Kumaratunga and several lesser political personalities were killed by “Unknown Gunmen” so that very few people would have had the courage to stand up against the killing spree or suppression of dissent or opposition.

Missing persons

Thousands were killed on the roadside all over the country. People were taken out of their homes, especially at night and they either were never heard of or their bodies were found burning on tyre pyres.

The lawyer Wijedasa Liyanarachchi who had filed a number of habeas corpus applications in courts on people who went missing was abducted, tortured and killed. It was at that stage the then Opposition Member of Parliament collected data about missing persons and arranged a visit to Geneva to go before the UN Human Rights Commission.

But at the Bandaranaike International Airport he was stopped by an Assistant Superintendent of Police Kudahetty, who was related to a minister of the Premadasa government and all the documents were confiscated by this policeman.

Mothers Front

Still it did not deter the efforts of Mahinda Rajapaksa who decided to come out against the killer regime.

When he decided to start the massive public protest march from Colombo to Kataragama to protest against the killing spree most people were skeptical whether it would achieve any degree of success. When we asked him about it he said he would not give up the protests until the killings were stopped.

The march started in Colombo and two others joined him strongly. One was Vasudeva Nanayakkara and the other Mahinda Abeykoon. People joined the march at all places along the Colombo-Matara road and by the time it reached Matara thousands of enthusiastic agitators were seen following the Mahinda Rajapaksa, Vasudeva Nanayakkara and Mahinda Abeykoon trio on foot all the way down. At Kataragama they visited the shrines and performed the poojas pleading to end the violence.

He continued the protests forming the Mothers Front of women whose family members were killed and followed it up with the Jana Ghosha public protest getting people to come out to the streets and tap pots and pans and making noises in public at the same time on the day of the protest. The protest was very successful.

Finally in 1994 when the People’s Alliance government was formed Mahinda Rajapaksa was appointed Labour Minister. In his new cabinet portfolio he began to work with the trade unions and labour leaders who were very well known to him. TU leaders readily cooperated with him in building new labour relations and he formulated a Labour Charter. But certain powers that be in the PA government were not happy about it.

Cabinet reshuffle

Very soon a Cabinet reshuffle came and he was appointed Fisheries Minister. Though the move was intended to deter him from gaining popularity, he started several schemes to help fishermen including the housing program Diyawara Gammana and the Sagara Vishvavidyalaya, institute of higher education for youth of the fisher families.

Though some powers attempted to bring him down he had to be appointed Prime Minister during the UPFA rule and naturally he had become the most suitable person to be nominated for Presidency in 2005.

I remember the SLFP central committee meeting that sat to decide on the nominations where as I remember there were 41 at the members meeting. When the motion to nominate Mahinda Rajapaksa, then Prime Minister came up, all CC members except one voted for Mahinda. I happened to write that story for a newspaper at that time and remember the editor of that paper telling me.

“I don’t buy your story. You don’t know the Bandaranaikes.”

But of course I had by that time known the Rajapaksas for more than forty years and knew that nothing could prevent Mahinda Rajapaksa being elected President.

The rest of course is history. Today when his political career of 40 years is being marked I have only one comment as a man who had known him and had watched his ascent to power sometimes at a distance and sometimes closely. That is leaders are destined to lead nations and nations are destined for leaders. In this instance Mahinda Rajapaksa was destined to be our leader fortunately to end the holocaust of terrorism but it is up to the others to help him bring back prosperity to the country as peace is already a reality.